IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


k^ 


&? 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


tame  115 


:,:4  0 


1.4 


iw  IM    III  2.2 


2.0 


1.6 


m 


<^ 


/^ 


d? 


el 


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o 


/ 


^J"?  %.  ^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


iV 


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6^ 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductiont;  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 

1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'ii  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-§tre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m6thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

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Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul6e 

□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

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Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  blank)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


D 


D 


n 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
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II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
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□    Pages  damaged/ 
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□    Pages  detached/ 
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Transparence 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


D 


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includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  matdriel  supplementaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
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ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcios  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film6es  d  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


0 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

IPX 14X 18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Douglas  Library 
Queen's  University 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reprodult  grfice  d  (a 
g6n6ro8it6  de: 

Douglas  Library 
Queen's  University 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  Keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specificatfons. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  granci  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  netteti  de  I'exempiaire  film6,  et  en 
conformit«&  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
f'rst  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim^e  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplairds 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  u:ie  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selort  le 
cas:  le  symbole  -^  signifie  "A  SUiVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  p'ates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  larg^  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
fiimds  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reprodult  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

No.  31. 

The  Voyages  to 
Vinland, 


From  the  Saga  ok  Eric  thk  Red. 


LEIF    THE    LUCKY    BAPTIZED. 

After  that  sixteen  winters  had  lapsed,  from  the  time  when 
Eric  the  Red  went  to  colonize  Greenland,  Leif,  Eric's  son, 
sailed  out  from  Greenland  to  Norway.  He  arrived  in  Dron- 
theim  in  the  autumn,  when  King  Olaf  Tryggvason  was  come 
down  from  the  North,  out  of  Halagoland.  Leif  put  into 
Nidaros  with  his  ship,  and  set  out  at  once  to  visit  the  king. 
King  Olaf  expounded  the  faith  to  him,  as  he  did  to  other 
heathen  men  who  came  to  visit  him.  It  proved  easy  for  the 
king  to  persuade  Leif,  and  he  was  accordingly  baptized,  to- 
gether with  all  of  his  shipmates.  Leif  remained  through©  the 
winter  with  the  king,  by  whom  he  was  well  entertained. 

BIARNI    GOES    IN    QUEST    OF    GREENLAND. 

Heriulf  was  a  son  of  Bard  Heriulfsson.  He  was  a  kinsman 
of  Ingolf,  the  first  colonist.  Ingolf  allotted  land  to  Heriulf 
between  Vag  and  Reykianess,  and  he  dwelt  at  first  at  Drep- 
stokk.  Heriulf's  wife's  name  was  Thorgerd,  and  their  son, 
whose  name  was  Biarni,  was  a  most  promising  man.  He 
formed  an  inclination  for  voyaging  while  he  was  still  young, 
and  he  prospered  both  in  property  and  public  esteem.  It  was 
his  custom  to  pass  his  winters  alternately  abroad  and  with  his 
father.  Biarni  soon  became  the  owner  of  a  trading-ship ;  and 
during  the  last  winter  that  he  spent  in  Norway  [his  father] 
Heriulf  determined  to  accompany  Eric  on  his  voyage  to  Green- 
land, and  made  his  preparations  to  give  up  his  farm.  Upon 
the  ship  with  Heriulf  was  a  Christian  man  from  the  Hebrides, 


he  it  was  who  composed  the  Sea-Roller's  Song,  which  contains 

this  stave : 

"  Mine  adventure  to  the  Meek  One, 

Monk-heart-searcher,  I  commit  now; 
He,  who  heaven's  halls  doth  govern, 
Hold  the  hawk's-seat  ever  o'er  me  I  " 

Heriulf  settled  at  Heriulfsness,  and  was  a  most  distinguished 
man.  P>ic  the  Red  dwelt  at  I3rattahlid,  where  he  was  held  in 
the  highest  esteem,  and  all  men  paid  him  homage.  These 
were  Eric's  children :  Leif,  Thorvald,  and  Thorstein,  and  a 
daughter  whose  name  was  Freydis ;  she  was  wedded  to  a  man 
named  Thorvard,  and  they  dwelt  at  Gardar,  where  the  episco- 
pal seat  now  is.  She  was  a  very  haughty  woman,  while  Thor- 
vard was  a  man  of  little  force  of  character,  and  Freydis  had 
been  wedded  to  him  chiefly  because  of  his  wealth.  At  that 
time  the  people  of  Greenland  were  heathen. 

Biarni  arrived  with  his  ship  at  Eyrar  [in  Iceland]  in  the  sum- 
mer of  the  same  year,  in  the  spring  of  which  his  father  had 
sailed  away.  Biarni  was  much  surprised  when  he  heard  this 
news,  and  would  not  discharge  his  cargo.  His  shipmates  in- 
quired of  him  what  he  intended  to  do,  and  he  replied  that  it 
was  his  purpose  to  keep  to  his  custom,  and  make  his  home  for 
the  winter  with  his  father;  "and  I  will  take  the  ship  to  Green- 
land, if  you  will  bear  me  company."  They  all  replied  that  they 
v.ould  abide  by  his  decision.  Then  said  Biarni,* "Our  voyage 
must  be  regarded  as  foolhardy,  seeing  that  no  one  of  us  has 
ever  been  in  the  Greenland  Sea."  Nevertheless,  they  put  out 
to  sea  when  they  were  equipped  for  the  voyage,  and  sailed  for 
three  days,  until  the  land  was  hidden  by  the  water,  and  then 
the  fair  wind  died  out,  and  north  winds  arose,  and  fogs,  and 
they  knew  not  whither  they  were  drifting,  and  thus  it  lasted  for 
many  "  dcegr."  Then  they  saw  the  sun  again,  and  were  able  to 
determine  the  quarters  of  the  heavens ;  they  hoisted  sail,  and 
sailed  that  "doegr"  through  before  they  saw  land.  They  dis- 
cussed among  themselves  what  land  it  could  be,  and  Biarni 
said  that  he  did  not  believe  that  it  could  be  Greenland.  They 
asked  whether  he  wished  to  sail  to  this  land  or  not.  "  It  is  my 
counsel"  [said  he]  "to  sail  close  to  the  land."  They  did  so, 
and  soon  saw  that  the  land  was  level,  and  covered  with  woods, 
and  that  there  were  small  hillocks  upon  it.  They  left  the  land 
on  their  larboard,  and  let  the  sheet  turn  toward  the  land.  They 
sailed  for  two  "  dcegr "  before  they  saw  another  land.  They 
asked  whether  Biarni  thought  this  was  Greenland  yet.  He  re- 
plied that  he  did  not  think  this  any  more  like  Greenland  than 


the  former,  "because  in  Greenland  there  are  said  to  be  many 
great  ice  mountains."  They  soon  approached  this  land,  and 
saw  that  it  was  a  flat  and  wooded  country.  The  fair  wind 
failed  them  then,  and  the  crew  took  counsel  together,  and  con- 
cluded that  it  would  be  wise  to  land  there,  but  liiarni  would  not 
consent  to  this.  They  alleged  that  they  were  in  need  of  both 
wood  and  water.  "  Ye  have  no  lack  of  either  of  these,"  says 
Biarni, — a  course,  forsooth,  which  won  him  blame  among  his 
shipmates.  He  bade  them  hoist  sail,  which  they  did,  and  turn- 
ing the  prow  from  the  land  they  sailed  out  upon  the  high  seas, 
with  south-westerly  gales,  for  three  "dcEgr,"  when  they  saw  the 
third  land  ;  this  land  was  high  and  mountainous,  with  ice  moun- 
tains upon  it.  They  asked  Biarni  then  whether  he  would  land 
there,  and  he  replied  that  he  was  not  disposed  to  do  so,  "be- 
cause this  land  does  not  appear  to  me  to  offer  any  attractions." 
Nor  did  they  lower  their  sail,  but  held  their  course  off  the  land, 
and  saw  that  it  was  an  island.  They  left  this  land  astern,  and 
held  out  to  sea  with  the  same  fair  wind.  The  wind  waxed 
amain,  and  Biarni  directed  them  to  reef,  and  not  to  sail  at  a 
speed  unbefitting  their  ship  and  rigging.  They  sailed  now  for 
four  "dcegr,"  when  they  saw  the  fourth  land.  Again  they  asked 
Biarni  whether  he  thought  this  could  be  Greenland  or  not. 
Biarni  answers,  "  This  is  likest  Greenland,  according  to  that 
which  has  been  reported  to  me  concerning  it,  and  here  we  will 
steer  to  the  land."  They  directed  their  course  thither,  and 
landed  in  the  evening,  below  a  cape  upon  which  there  was  a 
boat,  and  there,  upon  this  cape,  dwelt  Heriulf,  Biarni's  father, 
whence  the  cape  took  its  name,  and  was  afterward  called  Heri- 
ulfsness.  Biarni  now  went  to  his  father,  gave  up  his  voyaging, 
and  remained  with  his  father  while  Heriulf  lived,  and  continued 
to  live  there  after  his  father. 

HERE    BEGINS    THE    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    OREENLANDERS. 


Next  to  this  is  now  to  be  told  how  Biarni  Heriulfsson  came 
out  from  Greenland  on  a  visit  to  Earl  Eric,  by  whom  he  was 
well  received.  Biarni  gave  an  account  of  his  travels  [upon  the 
occasion]  when  he  sa'v  the  lands,  and  the  people  thought  that 
he  had  been  lacking  in  enterprise,  since  he  had  no  report  to 
give  concerning  these  countries ;  and  the  fact  brought  him  re- 
proach. Biarni  was  appointed  one  of  the  Pearl's  men,  and  went 
out  to  Greenlar  ^  the  following  summer.  There  was  now  much 
talk  about  voyages  of  discovery.  Leif,  the  son  of  Eric  the  Red, 
of  Brattahlid,  visited  Biarni  Heriulfsson  and  bought  a  ship  of 


him,  and  collected  a  crew,  until  they  formed  altogether  a  com- 
pany of  thirty-five  men.  Leif  invited  his  father,  Eric,  to  be- 
come the  leader  of  the  expedition,  but  Eric  declined,  saying 
that  he  was  then  stricken  in  years,  and  adding  that  he  was  less 
able  to  endure  the  exposure  of  sea  life  than  he  had  been.  Leif 
replied  that  he  would  nevertheless  be  the  one  who  would  be 
most  apt  to  bring  good  luck,  and  Eric  yielded  to  Leif's  solicita- 
tion, and  rode  from  home  when  they  were  ready  to  sail.  When 
he  was  but  a  short  distance  from  the  ship,  the  horse  which  Eric 
was  riding  stumbled,  and  he  was  thrown  from  his  back  and 
wounded  his  foot,  whereupon  he  exclaimed,  "  It  is  not  designed 
lor  me  to  discover  more  lands  than  the  one  in  which  we  are 
now  living,  nor  can  we  now  continue  longer  together.''  Eric 
returned  home  to  Brattahlid,  and  Leif  pursued  his  way  to  the 
ship  with  his  companions,  thirty-five  men.  One  of  the  company 
was  a  German,  named  Tyrker.  They  put  the  ship  in  order; 
and,  when  they  were  ready,  they  sailed  out  to  sea,  and  found 
first  that  land  which  Biarni  and  his  shipmates  found  last.  They 
sailed  up  to  the  land,  and  cast  anchor,  and  launched  a  boat,  and 
went  ashore,  and  saw  no  grass  there.  Great  ice  mountains  lay 
inland  back  from  the  sea,  and  it  was  as  a  [tableland  of]  flat  rock 
all  the  way  from  the  sea  to  the  ice  mountains ;  and  the  country 
seemed  to  them  to  be  entirely  devoid  of  good  qualities.  Then 
said  Leif,  "It  has  not  come  to  pass  with  us  in  regard  to  this 
land  as  with  Biarni,  that  we  have  not  gone  upon  it.  To  this 
country  I  will  now  give  a  name,  and  call  it  Helluland."  They 
returned  to  the  ship,  put  out  to  sea,  and  found  a  second  land. 
They  sailed  again  to  the  land,  and  came  to  anchor,  and  launched 
the  boat,  and  went  ashore.  This  was  a  level  wooded  land; 
and  there  were  broad  stretches  of  white  sand  where  they 
went,  and  the  land  was  level  by  the  sea.  Then  said  Leif, 
"This  land  shall  have  a  name  after  its  nature  ;  and  we  will  call 
it  Markland."  They  returned  to  the  ship  forthwith,  and  sailed 
away  upon  the  main  with  north-east  winds,  and  were  out  two 
"dcegr"  before  they  sighted  land.  They  sailed  toward  this 
land,  and  came  to  an  island  which  lay  to  the  northward  off  the 
land.  There  they  went  ashore  and  looked  about  them,  the 
weather  being  fine,  and  they  observed  that  there  was  dew  upon 
the  grass,  and  it  so  happened  that  they  touched  the  dew  with 
their  hands,  and  touched  their  hands  to  their  mouths,  and  it 
seemed  to  them  that  they  had  never  before  tasted  anything  so 
sweet  as  this.  They  went  aboard  their  ship  again  and  sailed 
into  a  certain  sound,  which  lay  between  the  island  and  a  cape, 
which  jutted  out  from  the  land  on  the  north,  and  they  stood  in 


westering  past  the  cape.  At  ebb-tide  there  were  broad  reaches 
of  shallow  water  there,  and  they  ran  their  ship  aground  there, 
and  it  was  a  long  distance  from  the  ship  to  the  ocean  ;  yet  were 
they  so  anxious  to  go  ashore  that  they  could  not  wait  until  the 
tide  should  rise  under  their  ship,  but  hastened  to  the  land, 
where  a  certain  river  flows  out  from  a  lake.  As  soon  as  the 
tide  rose  beneath  their  ship,  however,  they  took  the  boat  and 
rowed  to  the  ship,  which  they  conveyed  up  the  river,  and  so  into 
the  lake,  where  they  cast  anchor  and  carried  their  hammocks 
ashore  from  the  ship,  and  built  themselves  booths  there.  They 
afterward  determined  to  establish  themselves  there  for  the 
winter,  and  they  accordingly  built  a  large  house.  There  was 
no  lack  of  salmon  there  either  in  the  river  or  in  the  lake,  and 
larger  salmon  than  they  had  ever  seen  before.  The  country 
thereabout;  seemed  to  be  possessed  of  such  good  qualities  that 
cattle  would  need  no  fodder  there  during  the  winters.  There 
was  no  frost  there  in  the  winters,  and  the  grass  withered  but 
little.  The  days  and  nights  there  were  of  more  nearly  equal 
length  than  in  Greenland  or  Iceland.  On  the  shortest  day  of 
winter,  the  sun  was  up  between  "  eyktarstad "  and  "  dagmal- 
astad."  When  they  had  completed  their  house,  Leif  said  to  his 
companions,  *'  I  propose  now  to  divide  our  company  into  two 
groups,  and  to  set  about  an  exploration  of  the  country.  One-half 
of  our  party  shall  remain  at  home  at  the  house,  while  the  other 
half  shall  investigate  the  land ;  and  they  must  not  go  beyond 
a  point  from  which  they  can  return  home  the  same  evening,  and 
are  not  to  separate  [from  each  other].  Thus  they  did  for 
a  time.  Leif,  himself,  by  turns  joined  the  exploring  party,  or 
remained  behind  at  the  house.  Leif  was  a  large  and  powerful 
man,  and  of  a  most  imposing  bearing, —  a  man  of  sagacity,  and 
a  very  just  man  in  all  things. 


ijiii 


XEIF    THE    LUCKY    FINDS    MEN    UPON    A    SKERRY  AT   SEA. 

It  was  discovered  one  evening  that  one  of  their  company  was 
missing  ;  and  this  proved  to  be  Tyrker,  the  German.  Leif  was 
sorely  troubled  by  this,  for  Tyrker  had  lived  with  Leif  and  his 
father  for  a  long  time,  and  had  been  very  devoted  to  Leif  when 
he  was  a  child.  Leif  severely  reprimanded  his  companions, 
and  prepared  to  go  in  search  of  him,  taking  twelve  men  with 
liim.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  from  the  house, 
when  they  were  met  by  Tyrker,  whom  they  received  most  cor- 
dially. Leif  observed  at  once  that  his  foster-father  was  in  lively 
spirits.     Tyrker  had  a  prominent  forehead,  restless  eyes,  small 


features,  was  climinulive  in  stature,  and  rather  a  sorry-looking 
individual  withal,  but  was,  nevertheless,  a  most  capable  handi- 
craftsman. Leif  addressed  him,  and  asked,  "  Wherefore  art 
thou  so  belated,  foster  father  mine,  and  astray  from  the 
others?"  In  the  beginning  Tyrker  spoke  for  some  time  in 
German,  rolling  his  eyes  and  grinning,  and  they  could  not 
understand  him;  but  after  a  time  he  addressed  them  in  the 
Northern  tongue :  "  I  did  not  go  much  further  [than  you], 
and  yet  I  have  something  of  novelty  to  relate.  I  have  found 
vines  and  grapes."  "Is  this  indeed  true,  foster-father?"  said 
Leif.  "Of  a  certainty  it  is  true,"  quoth  he,  "for  I  was  born 
where  there  is  no  lack  of  either  grapes  or  vines."  They 
slept  the  night  through,  and  on  the  morrow  Leif  said  to 
his  shipmates,  "  We  will  now  divide  our  labors,  and  each  day 
will  either  gather  grapes  or  cut  vines  and  fell  trees,  so  as  to 
obtain  a  cargo  of  these  for  my  ship."  They  acted  upon  this 
advice,  and  it  is  said  that  their  after  boat  was  filled  with  grapes. 
A  cargo  sufficient  for  the  ship  was  cut,  and  when  the  spring 
came  they  made  their  ship  ready,  and  sailed  away ;  and  from 
its  products  Leif  gave  the  land  a  name,  and  called  it  Wineland. 
They  sailed  out  to  sea,  and  had  fair  winds  until  they  sighted 
Greenland  and  the  fells  below  the  glaciers.  Then  one  of  the 
men  spoke  up  and  said,  "  Why  do  you  steer  the  ship  so  much 
into  the  wind  ? "  Leif  answers  :  "  I  have  my  mind  upon  my 
steering,  but  on  other  matters  as  well.  Do  ye  not  see  anything 
out  of  the  common  ? "  They  replied  that  they  saw  nothing 
strange.  "I  do  not  know,"  says  Leif,  "whether  it  is  a  ship  or 
a  skerry  that  I  see."  Now  they  saw  it,  and  said  that  it  must  be 
a  skerry ;  but  he  was  so  much  keener  of  sight  than  they  that 
he  was  able  to  discern  men  upon  the  skerry.  "  I  think  it  best 
to  tack,"  says  Leif,  "  so  that  we  may  draw  near  to  them,  that 
we  may  be  able  to  render  them  assistance  if  they  should  stand 
in  need  of  it ;  and,  if  they  should  not  be  peaceably  disposed,  we 
shall  still  have  better  command  of  the  situation  than  they." 
They  approached  the  skerry,  and,  lowering  their  sail,  cast 
anchor,  and  launched  a  second  small  boat,  which  they  had 
Drought  with  them.  Tyrker  inquired  who  was  the  leader  of 
the  party.  He  replied  that  his  name  was  Thori,  and  that  he 
was  a  Norseman;  "but  what  is  thy  name?"  Leif  gave  his 
name.  "  Art  thou  a  son  of  Eric  the  Red  of  Brattahlid  ?  "  says 
he.  Leif  responded  that  he  was.  "  It  is  now  my  wish,"  says 
Leif,  "to  take  you  all  into  my  ship,  and  likewise  so  much  of 
your  possessions  as  the  ship  will  hold."  This  offer  was  ac- 
cepted,   and   [with   their   ship]  thus  laden   they  held  away  to 


Kricsfirth,  and  sailed  until  they  arrived  at  Brattahlid.  Having 
discharged  the  cargo,  Leif  invited  Thori,  with  his  wife,  Gudrid, 
and  three  others,  to  make  their  home  with  him,  and  procured 
quarters  for  the  other  members  of  the  crew,  both  for  his  own 
and  Thori's  men.  Leif  rescued  fifteen  persons  from  the  skerry. 
He  was  afterwards  called  Leif  the  Lucky.  Leif  had  now 
goodly  store  both  of  property  and  honor.  There  was  serious 
illness  that  winter  in  Thori's  party,  and  Thori  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  his  people  died.  Eric  the  Red  also  died  that  winter. 
There  was  now  much  talk  about  Leif 's  VVineland  journey ;  and 
his  brother,  Thorvald,  held  that  the  country  had  not  been  suffi- 
ciently explored.  Thereupon  Leif  said  to  Thorvald,  "  If  it  be 
thy  will,  brother,  thou  mayest  go  to  Wineland  with  my  ship  ; 
but  I  wish  the  ship  first  to  fetch  the  wood  which  Thori  had 
upon  the  skerry."     And  so  it  was  done. 

THORVALD   GOES    TO    WINELAND. 


Now  Thorvald,  with  the  advice  of  his  brother,  Leif,  prepared 
to  make  this  voyage  with  thirty  men.  They  put  their  ship  in 
order,  and  sailed  out  to  sea;  and  there  is  no  account  of  their 
voyage  before  their  arrival  at  Leifs-booths  in  Wineland.  They 
laid  up  their  ship  there,  and  remained  there  quietly  during  the 
winter,  supplying  themselves  with  food  by  fishing.  In  the 
spring,  however,  Thorvald  said  that  they  should  put  their  ship  in 
ord'  "  and  that  a  few  men  should  take  the  after-boat,  and  pro- 
ceed along  the  western  coast,  and  explore  [the  region]  there- 
abouts during  the  summer.  They  found  it  a  fair,  well-wooded 
country.  It  was  but  a  short  distance  from  the  woods  to  the  sea, 
and  [there  were]  white  sands,  as  well  as  great  numbers  of 
islands  and  shallows.  They  found  neither  dwelling  of  man  nor 
lair  of  beast ;  but  in  one  of  the  westerly  islands  they  found  a 
wooden  building  for  the  shelter  of  grain.  They  found  no  other 
trace  of  human  handiwork ;  and  they  turned  back,  and  arrived 
at  Leifs-booths  in  the  autumn.  The  following  summer  Thor- 
vald set  out  toward  the  east  with  the  ship,  and  along  the  north- 
ern coast.  They  were  met  by  a  high  wind  off  a  certain  prom- 
ontory, and  were  driven  ashore  there,  and  damaged  the  keel  of 
their  ship,  and  were  compelled  to  remain  ther«  for  a  long  time 
and  repair  the  injury  to  their  vessel.  Then  said  Thorvald  to 
his  companions,  "  I  propose  that  we  raise  the  keel  upon  this 
cape,  and  call  it  Keelness  "  ;  and  so  they  did.  Then  they  sailed 
away  to  the  eastward  off  the  land  and  into  the  mouth  of  the 
adjoining  firth  and  lo  a  headland,  which  projected  into  the  sea 


8 


there,  and  which  was  entirely  covered  with  woods.  They  found 
an  anchorage  for  their  ship,  and  put  out  the  gangway  to  the 
land ;  and  Thorvald  and  all  of  his  companions  went  ashore. 
"It  is  a  fair  region  here,"  said  he;  "and  here  I  should  like 
to  make  my  home."  They  then  returned  to  the  ship,  and  dis- 
covered on  the  sands,  in  beyond  the  headland,  three  mounds: 
they  went  up  to  these,  and  saw  that  they  were  three  skin 
canoes  with  three  men  under  each.  They  thereupon  di- 
vided their  party,  and  succeeded  in  seizing  all  of  the  men  but 
one,  who  escaped  with  his  canoe.  They  killed  the  eight  men, 
and  then  ascended  the  headland  again,  and  looked  about  them, 
and  discovered  within  the  firth  certain  hillocks,  which  they  con- 
cluded must  be  habitations.  They  were  then  so  overpowered 
with  sleep  that  they  could  not  keep  awake,  and  all  fell  into  a 
[heavy]  slumber  from  which  they  were  awakened  by  the  sound 
of  a  cry  uttered  above  them ;  and  the  words  of  the  cry  were 
these :  "  Awake,  Thorvald,  thou  and  all  thy  company,  if  thou 
wouldst  save  thy  life ;  and  board  thy  ship  with  all  thy  men,  and 
sail  with  all  speed  from  the  land ! "  A  countless  number  of 
skin  canoes  then  advanced  toward  them  from  the  inner  part  of 
the  firth,  whereupon  Thorvald  exclaimed,  "We  must  put  out 
the  war-boards  on  both  sides  of  the  ship,  and  defend  ourselves 
to  the  best  of  our  ability,  but  offer  little  attack."  This  they 
did  ;  and  the  Skrellings,  after  they  had  shot  at  them  for  a  time, 
fled  precipitately,  each  as  best  he  could.  Thorvald  then 
inquired  of  his  men  whether  any  of  them  had  been  wounded, 
and  they  informed  him  that  no  one  of  them  had  received  a 
wound.  "  I  have  been  wounded  in  my  arm-pit,"  says  he.  "  An 
arrow  flew  in  between  the  gunwale  and  the  shield,  below  my 
arm.  Here  is  the  shaft,  and  it  will  bring  me  to  my  end.  1 
counsel  you  now  to  retrace  your  way  with  the  utmost  speed. 
But  me  ye  shall  convey  to  that  headland  which  seemed  to  me 
to  offer  so  pleasant  a  dwelling-place :  thus  it  may  be  fulfilled 
that  the  truth  sprang  to  my  lips  when  I  expressed  the  wish  to 
abide  there  for  a  time.  Ye  shall  bury  me  there,  and  place  a 
cross  at  my  head,  and  another  at  my  feet,  and  call  it  Crossness 
foi-ever  after."  At  that  time  Christianity  had  obtained  in 
Greenland :  Eric  the  Red  died,  however,  before  [the  introduc- 
tion of]  Christianity. 

Thorvald  died ;  and,  when  they  had  carried  out  his  injunc- 
tions, they  took  their  departure,  and  rejoined  their  companions, 
and  they  told  each  other  of  the  experiences  which  had  befallen 
them.  They  remained  there  during  the  winter,  and  gathered 
grapes  and  wood  with  which  lo  freight  the  ship.     In  the  follow- 


ing  spring  they  returned  to  Greenland,  and  arrived  with  theif 
ship  in  Eric^firth,  where  they  were  able  to  recount  great  tidings 
to  Leif. 

THORSTEIN    ERICSSON    DIES    IN    THE    WESTERN    SETTLEMENT. 

In  the  mean  time  it  had  come  to  pass  in  Greenland  that  Thor- 
stein  of  Ericsfirth  had  married,  and  taken  to  wife  Gudrid,  Thor- 
brion's  daughter,  [she]  who  had  been  the  spouse  of  Thori  East- 
man, as  has  been  already  related.  Now  Thorstein  Ericsson, 
being  minded  to  make  the  voyage  to  Wineland  after  the  body  of 
his  brother,  Thorvald,  equipped  the  same  ship,  and  selected  a 
crew  of  twenty-five  men  of  good  size  and  'rength,  and  taking 
with  him  his  wife,  Gudrid,  when  all  was  in  readiness,  they  sailed 
out  into  the  open  ocean,  and  out  of  sight  of  land.  They  were 
driven  hither  and  thither  over  the  sea  all  that  summer,  and  lost 
all  reckoning;  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  week  of  winter  they 
made  the  land  at  Lysufirth  in  Greenland,  in  the  Western  settle- 
ment. Thorstein  set  out  in  search  of  quarters  for  his  crew,  and 
succeeded  in  procuring  homes  for  all  of  his  shipmates;  but  he 
and  his  wife  were  unprovided  for,  and  remained  together  upon 
the  ship  for  two  or  more  days.  At  this  time  Christianity  was 
still  in  its  infancy  in  Greenland.  [Here  follows  the  account  of 
Thorstein's  sickness  and  death  in  the  winter.]  .  .  .  When  he  had 
thus  spoken,  Thorstein  sank  back  again ;  and  his  body  was  laid 
out  for  burial,  and  borne  to  the  ship.  Thorstein,  the  master, 
faithfully  performed  all  his  promises  to  Gudrid.  He  sold  his 
lands  and  live  stock  in  the  spring,  and  accompanied  Gudrid  to 
the  ship,  with  all  his  possessions.  He  put  the  ship  in  order,  pro- 
cured a  crew,  and  then  sailed  for  Ericsfirth.  The  bodies  of 
the  dead  were  now  buried  at  the  church  ;  HiA  Gudrid  then  went 
home  to  Leif  at  Brattahlid,  while  Thorstein  the  Swarthy  made 
a  home  for  himself  on  Ericsfirth,  and  remained  there  as  long  as 
he  lived,  and  was  looked  upon  as  a  very  superior  man. 

OF  THE  WINELAND  VOYAGES  OF    THORFINN  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS. 

That  same  summer  a  ship  came  from  Norway  to  Greenland. 
The  skipper's  name  was  Thorfinn  Karlsefni.  He  was  a  son  of 
Thord  Horsehead,  and  a  grandson  of  Snorri,  the  son  of  Thord 
of  Hofdi.  Thorfinn  Karlsefni,  who  was  a  very  wealthy  man, 
passed  the  winter  at  Brattahlid  with  Leif  P>icsson.  He  very 
soon  set  his  heart  upon  Gudrid,  and  sought  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage. She  referred  him  to  Leif  for  her  answer,  and  was  subse- 
quently betrothed  to  him ;  and  their  marriage  was  celebrated 
that  same  winter.     A  renewed  discussion  arose  concerning  a 


lO 


Wineland  voyage  ;  and  the  folk  urged  Karlsefni  to  make  the 
venture,  Gudrid  joining  with  the  others.  He  determined  to  un- 
dertake the  voyage,  and  assembled  a  company  of  sixty  men  and 
five  women,  and  entered  into  an  agreement  with  his  shipmates 
that  they  should  each  share  equally  in  all  the  spoils  of  the 
enterprise.  They  took  with  them  all  kinds  of  cattle,  as  i^  wps 
their  intention  to  settle  the  country,  if  they  could.  Karlsefni 
asked  Leif  for  the  house  in  Wineland ;  and  he  replied  that  he 
would  lend  it,  but  not  give  it.  They  sailed  out  to  sea  with  the 
ship,  and  arrived  safe  and  sound  at  Leifs-booths,  and  carried 
their  hammocks  ashore  there.  They  were  soon  provided  with 
an  abundant  and  goodly  supply  of  food ;  for  a  whale  of  good 
size  and  quality  was  driven  ashore  there,  and  they  secured  it, 
and  flensed  it,  and  had  then  no  lack  of  provisions.  The  cattle 
were  turned  out  upon  the  land,  and  the  males  soon  became  very 
restless  and  vicious  :  they  had  brought  a  bull  with  them.  Karl- 
sefni caused  trees  to  be  felled  and  to  be  hewed  into  timbers 
wherewith  to  load  his  ship,  and  the  wood  was  placed  upon  a 
cliff  to  dry.  They  gathered  somewhat  of  all  of  the  valuable 
products  of  the  land, —  grapes,  and  all  kinds  of  game  and  fish, 
and  other  good  things.  In  the  summer  succeeding  the  first 
winter  Skrellings  were  discovered.  A  great  troop  of  men  came 
forth  from  out  the  woods.  The  cattle  were  hard  by,  and  the 
bull  began  to  bellow  and  roar  with  a  great  noise,  whereat  the 
Skrellings  were  frightened,  and  ran  away  with  their  packs, 
wherein  were  gray  furs,  sables,  and  all  kinds  of  peltries.  They 
fled  towards  Karlsefni's  dwelling,  and  sought  to  effect  an 
entrance  into  the  house  ;  but  Karlsefni  caused  the  doors  to  be 
defended  [against  them"".  Neither  [people]  could  understand 
the  other's  language.  Ihe  Skrellings  put  down  their  bundles 
then,  and  loosed  them,  and  offered  their  wares  [for  barter],  and 
were  especially  anxious  to  exchange  these  for  weapons  j  but 
Karlsefni  forbade  his  men  to  sell  their  weapons,  and,  taking 
counsel  with  himself,  he  bade  the  women  carry  out  milk  to  the 
Skrellings,  which  they  no  sooner  saw  than  they  wanted  to  buy 
it,  and  nothing  else.  Now  the  outcome  of  the  Skrellings'  trad- 
ing was  that  they  carried  their  wares  away  in  their  stomachs, 
while  they  left  their  packs  and  peltries  behind  with  Karlsefni 
and  his  companions,  and,  having  accomplished  this  [exchange], 
they  went  away.  Now  it  is  to  be  told  that  Karlsefni  caused  a 
strong  wooden  palisade  to  be  constructed  and  set  up  around 
the  house.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Gudrid,  Karlsefni's  wife, 
gave  birth  to  a  male  child,  and  the  boy  was  called  Snorri.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  second  winter  the  Skrellings  came  to  them 


II 


again,  and  these  were  now  much  more  numerous  than  before, 
and  brought  with  them  the  same  wares  as  at  first.  Then  said 
Karlsefni  to  the  women,  "  Do  ye  carry  out  now  the  same  focd 
which  proved  so  profitable  before,  and  nought  else."  When 
they  saw  this,  they  cast  their  packs  in  over  the  palisade. 
Gudrid  was  sitting  within,  in  the  doorway,  beside  the  cradle  of 
her  infant  son,  Snorri,  when  a  shadow  fell  upon  the  door,  and  a 
woman  in  a  black  namkirtle  entered.  She  was  short  in  stature^ 
and  wore  a  fillet  about  her  head ;  her  hair  was  of  a  light  chest- 
nut color,  and  she  was  pale  of  hue,  and  so  big-eyed  that 
never  before  had  eyes  so  large  been  seen  in  a  human  skull. 
She  went  up  to  where  Gudrid  was  seated,  and  said,  "  What  is 
thy  name?"  "My  name  is  Gudrid,  but  what  is  thy  name?" 
'•  My  name  is  Gudrid,"  says  she.  The  housewife  Gudrid  mo- 
tioned her  with  her  hand  to  a  seat  beside  her;  but  it  so  hap- 
pened that  at  that  very  instant  Gudrid  heard  a  great  crash, 
whereupon  the  woman  vanished,  and  at  that  same  moment  one 
of  the  Skrellings,  who  had  tried  to  seize  their  weapons,  was 
killed  by  one  of  Karlsefni's  followers.  At  this  the  Skrellings 
Hed  precipitately,  leaving  their  garments  and  wares  behind  them; 
and  not  a  soul,  save  Gudrid  alone,  beheld  this  woman.  "Now 
we  must  needs  take  counsel  together,"  says  Karlsefni ;  "for  that 
I  believe  they  will  visit  us  a  third  time  in  great  numbers,  and 
attack  us.  Let  us  now  adopt  this  plan.  Ten  of  our  number 
shall  go  out  upon  the  cape,  and  show  themselves  there ;  while 
the  remainder  of  our  company  shall  go  into  the  woods  and  hew 
a  clearing  for  our  cattle,  when  the  troop  approaches  from  the 
forest.  We  will  also  take  our  bull,  and  let  him  go  in  advance 
of  us."  The  lie  of  the  land  was  such  that  the  proposed  meet- 
ing-place had  the  lake  upon  the  one  side  and  the  forest  upon 
the  other.  Karlsefni's  advice  was  now  carried  into  execution. 
The  Skrellings  advanced  to  the  spot  which  Karlsefni  had 
selected  for  the  encounter ;  and  a  battle  was  fought  there,  in 
which  great  numbers  of  the  band  of  the  Skrellings  were  slain. 
There  was  one  man  among  the  Skrellings,  of  large  size  and  fine 
bearing,  whom  Karlsefni  concluded  must  be  their  chief.  One 
of  the  Skrellings  picked  up  an  axe ;  and,  having  looked  at  it  for 
a  time,  he  brandished  it  about  one  of  his  companions,  and 
hewed  at  him,  and  on  the  instant  the  man  fell  dead.  There- 
upon the  big  man  seized  the  axe ;  and,  after  examining  it  for 
a  moment,  he  hurled  it  as  far  as  he  could  out  into  the  sea. 
Then  they  fled  heller  skelter  into  the  woods,  and  thus  their  in- 
tercourse came  to  an  end.  Karlsefni  and  his  party  remained 
there  throughout  the  winter;    hut  in  the  spring  Karlsefni  an- 


12 


nounces  that  he  is  not  minded  to  remain  there  longer,  but  will 
return  to  (}reenland.  They  now  made  ready  for  the  voyage, 
and  carried  away  with  them  much  booty  in  vines  and  grapes 
and  peltries.  They  sailed  out  upon  the  high  seas,  and  broight 
their  ohip  safely  to  Ericsfirth,  where  they  remained  during  the 
winter. 

FREVDIS  CAUSES  THE  BROTHERS  TO  BE  PUT  TO  DEATH. 

There  wis  now  much  talk  anew  about  a  Wineland  voyage, 
for  this  was  reckoned  both  a  profitable  and  an  honorable  en- 
terprise. The  sanie  summer  that  Karlsefni  arrived  from  Wine- 
land  a  ship  from  Norway  arrived  in  Greenland.  This  ship  was 
commanded  by  two  brothers,  Helgi  and  Finnbogi,  who  passed 
the  winter  in  Greenland.  They  were  descended  from  an  Ice- 
landic family  of  the  East-firths.  It  is  now  to  be  added  that 
Freydis,  Eric's  daughter,  set  out  from  her  home  at  Gardar,  and 
waited  upon  the  brothers,  Helgi  and  Finnbogi,  and  invited 
them  to  sail  with  their  vessel  to  Wineland,  and  to  share  with 
her  equally  all  of  the  good  things  which  they  might  succeed  in 
obtaining  there.  To  this  they  agreed,  and  she  departed  thence 
to  visit  her  brother,  Leif,  and  ask  him  to  give  her  the  house 
which  he  had  caused  to  be  erected  in  Wineland  ;  but  he  made 
her  the  same  answer  [as  that  which  he  had  given  Karlsefni], 
saying  that  he  would  lend  the  house,  but  not  give  it.  It  was 
stipulated  between  Karlsefni  and  Freydis  that  each  should 
have  on  ship-board  thirty  able-bodied  men,  besides  the  women  ; 
but  Freydis  immediately  violated  this  compact  by  concealing 
five  men  more  [than  this  number],  and  this  the  brothers  did 
not  discover  before  they  arrived  in  Wineland.  They  now  put 
out  to  sea,  having  agreed  beforehand  that  they  would  sail  in 
company,  if  possible,  and,  although  they  were  not  far  apart 
from  each  other,  the  brothers  arrived  somewhat  in  advance,  and 
carried  their  belongings  up  to  Leif's  house.  Now,  when  Frey- 
dis arrived,  her  ship  was  discharged  and  the  baggage  carried 
up  to  the  house,  whereupon  Freydis  exclaimed,  "Why  did  you 
carry  your  baggage  in  here?"  "Since  we  believed,"  said  they, 
"that  all  promises  made  to  us  would  be  kept."  "  It  was  to  me 
that  Leif  loaned  the  house,"  says  she,  "and  not  to  you." 
Whereupon  Helgi  exclaimed,  "We  brothers  cannot  hope  to 
rival  thee  in  wrong  dealing."  They  thereupon  carried  their 
baggage  forth,  and  built  a  hut,  above  the  sea,  on  the  bank  of 
the  lake,  and  put  all  in  order  about  it ;  while  Freydis  caused 
wood  to  be  felled,  with  which  to  load  her  ship.  The  winter 
now  set  in,  and  the  brothers  suggested  that  they  should  amuse 


13 


>?: 


le 


er 
se 


themselves  by  playing  games.     This  they  did  for  a  time,  until 
the  folk  began    to  disagree,  when   dissensions   arose    between 
them,  and  the  gam_es  came  to  an  end,  and  the  visits  between 
the  houses  ceased ;  sjvid  thus  it  continued  f:ir  into  the  winter. 
One  morning  early  Freydis  arose   from  her  bed  and  dressed 
herself,  but  did  not  put  on  her  shoes  and  stockings.     A  heavy 
dew  had  fallen,  and  she  took  her  husband's  cloak,  and  wrapped 
it  about  her,  and  then  walked  to  the  brothers'  house,  and  up  to 
the  door,  which  had  been  only  partly  closed  by  one  of  the  men, 
who  had  gone  out  a  short  time  before.     She  pushed  the  door 
open,  and  stood  silently  in  the  doorway  for  a  time.     Finnbogi, 
who  was  lying  on  the  innermost  side  of  the  room,  was  awake, 
and  said,  "  What  dost  thou  wish  here,  Freydis  ?  "     She  answers, 
*'  I  wish  thee  to  rise  and  go  out  with  me,  for  I  would  speak  with 
thee."     He  did  so;  and  they  walked  to  a  tree,  which  lay  close 
by   the   wall  of   the   house,   and   seated    themselves   upon    it. 
"  How  art  thou  pleased  here  ?  "  says  she.     He  answers,  "  I  am 
well  pleased  with  the  fruitfulness  of  the  land ;   but   I  am    ill 
content  with  the  breach  which  has  come  between  us,  for,  me- 
thinks,  there  has  been  no  cause  for  it."     "  It  is  even  as  thou 
sayest,"  says  she,  "and  so  it  seems  to  me;  but  my  errand  to 
thee  is  that  I  wish  to  exchange  ships  with   you   brothers,  for 
that  ye  have  a  larger  ship  than  I,  and  I  wish  to  depart  from 
here."     "  To  this  I  must  accede,"  says  he,  "  if  it  is  thy  pleas- 
ure."    Therewith    ihey   parted ;   and   she   returned   home  and 
Finnbogi  to  his  bed.     She  climbed  up  into  bed,  and  awakened 
Thorvard  with  her  cold  feet ;  and  he  asked  her  why  she  was  so 
cold  and  wet.     She  answered  with  great  passion  :  "  I  have  been 
to  the  brothers,"  says  she,  "  to  try  to  buy  their  ship,  for  I  wished 
to  have  a  larger  vessel;  but  they  received  my  overtures  so  ill 
that  they  struck  iTie  and  h mdled  me  very  roughly ;  what  time 
thou,  poor  wretch,  wilt  neither  avenge  my  shame  nor  thy  own  ; 
and  I  find,  perforce,  that  I  am  no  longer  in  Greenland.     More- 
over I  shall  part  from  thee  unless  thou  wreakest  vengeance  for 
this."     And  now  he  could  stand  her  taunts  no  longer,  and  or- 
dered the  men  to  rise  at  once  and  take  their  weapons;  and  this 
they  did.     And  they  then  proceeded  directly  to  the  house  of  the 
brothers,  and  entered  it  while  the  folk  were  asleep,  and  seized 
and  bound  them,  and  led  each  one  out  when  he  was  bound ; 
and,  as  they  came  out,  Freydis  caused  each  one  to  be  slain.     In 
this  wise  all  of  the  men  were  put  to  death,  and  only  the  women 
were  left;  and  these  no  one  would  kill.     At  this  Freydis  e'x- 
claimed,  "Hand  me   an    axe."     This  was  done;  anr*     "e  fell 
upon  the   five  women,  and   left   them   dead.     The;;  ,rned 


14 


home  after  this  dreadful  deed ;  and  it  was  very  evident  that 
Freydis  was  well  content  with  her  work.  She  addressed  her 
companions,  saying,  "  If  it  be  ordained  for  us  to  come  again  to 
Greenland,  I  shall  contrive  the  death  of  any  man  who  shall 
speak  of  these  events.  We  must  give  it  out  that  we  left  them 
living  here  when  we  came  away."  Early  in  the  spring  they 
equipped  the  ship  which  had  belonged  to  the  brothers,  and 
freighted  it  with  all  of  the  products  of  the  land  which  they 
could  obtain,  and  which  the  ship  would  carry.  Then  they  put 
out  to  sea,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage  arrived  with  their 
ship  in  Ericsfirth  early  in  the  summer.  Karlsefni  was  there, 
with  his  ship  all  ready  to  sail,  and  was  awaiting  a  fair  wind ; 
and  people  say  that  ;v  ship  richer  laden  than  that  which  he 
commanded  never  left  Greenland. 

Concerning  Frevdis. 

Freydis  now  went  to  her  home,  since  it  had  remained  un- 
harmed during  her  absence.  She  bestowed  liberal  gifts  upon 
all  of  her  companions,  for  she  was  anxious  to  screen  her  guilt. 
She  now  established  herself  at  her  home ;  but  her  companions 
were  not  all  so  close-mouthed  concerning  their  misdeeds  and 
wickedness  that  rumors  did  not  get  abroad  at  last.  These 
finally  reached  her  brother,  Leif,  and  he  thought  it  a  most 
shameful  story.  He  thereupon  took  three  of  the  men,  who  had 
been  of  Freydis'  party,  and  forced  them  all  at  the  same  time  to 
a  confession  of  the  affair,  and  their  stories  entirely  agreed.  "  I 
have  no  heart,"  says  Leif,  "to  punish  my  sister,  Freydis,  as  she 
deserves,  but  this  I  predict  of  them,  that  there  is  little  prosper- 
ity in  store  for  their  offspring."  Hence  it  came  to  pass  that 
no  one  from  that  time  forward  thought  them  worthy  of  aught 
but  evil.  It  now  remains  to  take  up  the  story  from  the  time 
when  Karlsefni  made  his  ship  ready,  and  sailed  out  to  sea.  He 
had  a  successful  voyage,  and  arrived  in  Norway  safe  and  sound. 
He  remained  there  during  the  winter,  and  sold  his  wares ;  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  received  with  great  favor  by  the 
most  distinguished  men  of  Norway.  The  following  spring  he 
put  his  ship  in  order  for  the  voyage  to  Iceland ;  and  when  all 
liis  preparations  had  been  made,  and  his  ship  was  lying  at  the 
wharf,  awaiting  favorable  winds,  there  came  to  him  a  South- 
*;rner,  a  native  of  Bremen  in  the  Saxonland,  who  wished  to 
buy  his  "  house-neat."  '*  I  do  not  wish  to  sell  it,"  says  he.  **  I 
will  give  thee  half  a  '  mork '  in  gold  for  it,"  says  the  Southerner. 
This  Karlsefni  thought  a  good  offer,  and  accordingly  closed  the 
bargain.     The  Southerner  went  his  way  with  the  "house  neat," 


IS 

and  Karlsefni  knew  not  what  wood  it  was,  but  it  was  "mosur," 
come  from  Wineland. 

Karlsefni  sailed  away,  and  arrived  with  his  ship  in  the  north 
of  Iceland,  in  Skagafirth.  His  vessel  was  beached  there  during 
the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  he  bought  Glaumbceiar-land,  and 
made  his  home  there,  and  dwelt  there  as  long  as  he  lived,  and 
was  a  man  of  the  greatest  prominence.  From  him  and  his  wife, 
Gudrid,  a  numerous  and  goodly  lineage  is  descended.  After 
Karlsefni's  death  Gudrid,  together  with  her  son  Snorri,  who 
was  born  in  Wineland,  took  charge  of  the  farmstead  ;  and,  when 
Snorri  was  married,  Gudrid  went  abroad,  and  made  a  pilgrim- 
age to  the  South,  after  which  she  returned  again  to  the  home 
of  her  son  Snorri,  who  had  caused  a  church  to  be  built  at 
Glaumboer.  Gudrid  then  took  the  veil  and  became  an  anchorite, 
and  lived  there  the  rest  of  her  days.  Snorri  had  a  son,  named 
Thorgeir,  who  was  the  father  of  Ingveld,  the  mother  of  Bishop 
Brand.  Hallfrid  was  the  name  of  the  daughter  of  Snorri,  Karl- 
sefni's son  :  she  was  the  mother  of  Runolf,  Bishop  Thorlak's 
father.  Biorn  was  the  name  of  [another]  son  of  Karlsefni  and 
Gudrid  :  he  was  the  father  of  I'horunn,  the  mother  of  Bishop 
Biorn.  Many  men  are  descended  from  Karlsefni,  and  he  has 
been  blessed  with  r.  nume  ous  and  famous  posterity;  and  of  all 
men  Karlsefni  has  given  the  most  exact  accounts  of  all  these 
voyages,  of  which  something  has  now  been  recounted. 


ime 
(He 
Ind. 

nd 
Ithe 

he 

all 
Ithe 

ith- 
to 

"I 


It,' 


The  famous  Sa^a  of  Eric  the  Red,  which  gives  the  original  accounts 
of  the  Northmen's  voyages  to  Vinland,  exists  in  two  different  versions,  that 
known  as  the  Ilauks-bok,  written  by  llauk  Erlendsson  between  1305  and 
1334,  and  that  made  about  1387  by  the  priest  Jon  Thordharson,  contained 
in  the  compilation  known  as  the  Flateyar-b6k,ox  "Flat  Island  13ook."  Jon 
used  parts  of  the  original  saga,  and  added  a  considerable  amount  of  material 
concerning  the  Vinland  voyages  derived  from  other  sources,  to  us  unknown. 
It  is  this  second  version  which  is  reproduced,  almost  in  its  entirety,  in  the 
present  leaflet. 

The  Vinland  voyages  belong  to  about  the  year  1000.  These  Icelandic 
chronicles  belong  therefore  to  a  date  three  centuries  later.  They  were 
doubtless  based  upon  earlier  writings  which  had  come  down  from  the  times 
of  Leif  and  Thortlnn,  subject  to  the  various  influences  which  affected  simi- 
lar writings  at  that  period,  the  world  over.  An  interesting  and  valuable  con- 
firmation of  the  simple  fact  of  the  visit  of  the  Northmen  to  "  Vinland  "  is  given 
us  by  Adam  of  Ihemen,  who  visited  Denmark  between  1047  and  1073,  when 
the  voyages  would  have  been  within  the  memory  of  living  men  and  natural 
subjects  of  conversation.  In  speaking  of  the  Scandinavian  countries,  in  his 
book,  Adam  describes  the  colonies  in  Iceland  and  Greenland,  and  says  that 
there  is  another  country  or  island  beyond,  called  Vinland,  on  account  of  the 
wild  grapes  that  grow  there.  He  says  that  corn  also  grows  in  Vinland  with- 
out cultivation;  and,  thinking  this  may  seem  strange  to  European  readers, 


i6 


he  adds  that  his  statement  is  based  upon  "trustworthy  repoits  of  the 
Danes." 

The  great  work  of  Professor  Charles  Christian  Rafn,  of  Copenhagen, 
Antiquita(':s  Ainerican<c,  published  in  1837,  first  brought  these  Icelandic 
sagas  prominently  before  modern  scholars.  Professor  Rafn's  work  was 
most  elaborate  and  thorough,  and  very  little  in  the  way  of  new  material  has 
been  given  us  since  his  time,  although  his  theories  and  the  general  subject 
of  the  Northmen's  voyages  and  the  whereabouts  of  Vinland  have  been  dis- 
cussed in  numberless  volumes  during  the  fifty  years  since  he  wrote.  Per- 
haps the  most  valuable  work  is  that  by  Arthur  Middleton  Reeves,  a  young 
American  scholar,  whose  untimely  death  in  a  recent  railroad  disaster  is  so 
deeply  to  be  deplored.  The  title  of  Mr.  Reeves's  work  is  T/ie  Finding  of 
Wineland  the  Good :  The  History  of  the  Icelandic  Discovery  of  Atnerica. 
(London,  1890).  This  work  contains  phototype  plates  of  the  original  Ice- 
landic vellums,  English  translations  of  the  two  sagas,  and  vcy  thorough 
historical  accounts  and  critical  discussions.  The  present  leaflet  makes  uj-e 
of  Mr.  Reeves's  translation.  De  Costa's  Pre-Columbian  Discoz>ery  of  Amer- 
ica l>y  the  Northmen  and  Slafter's  V'oyai^es  of  the  A^orthmcn  to  America  arc 
earlier  works  of  high  authority,  going  over  the  same  ground  and  also  con- 
taining translations  of  the  sagas.  Dr.  Slafter's  book  has  an  added  value 
from  its  critical  accounts  of  all  the  important  works  on  the  subject  which 
had  appeared  up  to  that  time  (1877).  A  completer  bibliography,  now  ac- 
cessible, is  that  by  Justin  Winsor,  appended  to  his  chapter  on  "  Pre-Colum- 
bian Explorations  "  in  the  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,  vol.  i. 

The  best  popular  account  of  the  Norsemen  and  their  voyages  is  that  by 
Mr.  Fiske,  in  \v\^  Discovery  of  America^  vol.  i.  chap  ii.  Mr.  Fiske  is  refreshingly 
sound  and  sane  in  his  treatment  of  the  whole  subject,  which  with  so  many 
writers  has  been  a  field  for  the  wildest  speculations.  He  shows  the  absurd- 
ity of  the  earlier  writers  who  used  to  associate  the  Old  Mill  at  Newport 
and  the  inscriptions  on  the  Dighton  rock  with  the  Northmen,  and  the 
slight  grounds  on  which,  at  the  present  time,  enthusiasts  like  Professor 
Horsford  have  attempted  to  determine  details  so  exactly  as  to  claim  that 
Leif  Erikson  settled  on  the  banks  of  Charles  River.  "On  the  whole," 
concludes  Mr.  Fiske,  "we  may  say  with  some  confidence  that  the  place 
described  by  our  chroniclers  as  Vinland  was  situated  somewhere  between 
Point  Judith  and  Cape  Breton  ;  possibly  we  may  narrow  our  limits,  and  say 
that  it  was  somewhere  between  Cape  Cod  and  Cape  Ann.  But  the  latter 
conclusion  is  much  le.ss  secure  than  the  former.  In  such  a  case  as  this,  the 
more  we  narrow  our  limits,  the  greater  our  liability  to  error." 

It  should  be  said  that  many  scholarly  investigators  hold  that  all  the  con- 
ditions of  the  descriptions  of  Vinland  in  the  sagas  are  met  by  the  shores  of 
Labrador  and  Newfoundland,  although  the  weight  of  opinion  is  in  favor  of 
the  New  England  coast.  Th^  accounts  themselves  make  any  exacter  deter- 
mination impossible ;  and  no  genuine  Norse  remains  have  ever  been  dis- 
covered in  New  England. 

The  claim  that  Columbus  knew  of  these  discoveries  of  the  Northmen  or 
that  he  was  influenced  by  them  has  never  been  made  out,  and  is  quite  im- 
probable. He  simply  set  out  to  find  a  western  route  to  Asia.  The  course 
of  his  voyage  was  not  such  as  he  would  have  taken,  "had  he  had  in  mind  the 
Vinland  of  the  Northmen ;  and  he  made  no  mention  of  Vinland  while 
exhausting  every  possible  argument  in  favor  of  his  expedition  at  the  Span- 
ish court.  Had  he  known  of  it,  he  certainly  would  have  mentioned  it;  for, 
as  Colonel  Higginson  so  well  says  (see  his  excellent  chapter  on  the  North- 
men in  his  Larger  History  of  the  United  States'),  for  the  purpose  of  his  argu- 
ment, "an  ounce  of  Vinland  would  have  been  worth  a  pound  of  cosmog- 
raphy." 


